Volcanic Eruption in Kamchatka Peninsula Following Strongest Earthquake in Seven Decades

The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Service reported that the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in the Kamchatka Peninsula erupted due to the strongest earthquake to hit the region since 1952.


The branch commented, accompanied by a photo of the erupting volcano: "Currently, the Klyuchevskoy volcano is erupting".


The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano is the highest active volcano in Eurasia. It is a regularly shaped cone with a summit diameter of about 700 meters. It has around 80 secondary explosive vents and ash cones on its slopes. The volcano is located 30 kilometers from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky district, where approximately 4,500 people live.

The volcano is part of the natural volcanoes of Kamchatka and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This morning, an earthquake occurred off the coast of Kamchatka, becoming the strongest during the entire monitoring period, with a magnitude of 8.8. The meteorological and environmental monitoring department recorded a tsunami wave reaching up to four meters in the area. The waters flooded the city of Severo-Kurilsk, and a state of emergency was declared in the region.